Gender barriers are threatening maternity services across Northern Nigeria, where socio-cultural and religious factors prevent women from receiving medical care from male healthcare providers. This has led to inadequate female skilled birth attendants and a gender imbalance in the health sector. Incidents such as a man divorcing his wife for being attended by a male doctor during childbirth highlight the severity of the issue. The reluctance of men to allow male workers to treat their wives, even for simple tasks like checking blood pressure, has resulted in a concentration of female health workers in urban areas, leaving rural areas underserved. Efforts to address the imbalance include enrolling only female students in midwifery schools and introducing community midwifery programs. Despite these initiatives, the Maternal Mortality Ratio remains alarmingly high in the region, and the shortage of midwives is acute, with the UNFPA reporting that Nigeria needs 70,000 more midwives to tackle the deficit. The article also discusses the role of traditional birth attendants and the state governments' struggle to train female healthcare providers while balancing cultural and religious barriers.

Nigeria, having been removed from the list of polio-endemic countries, faces challenges in maintaining its polio-free status, particularly in Kano State, where the last case was recorded. Stakeholders are concerned about vaccine rejection in remote areas due to community demands for resolution of local issues such as land disputes and leadership conflicts. In Rogo LGA, residents have refused vaccination until their village head is dethroned. In Bunkure LGA, a land dispute has hindered immunization efforts. Some schools also rejected vaccines due to lack of notification. The State government and Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje have intervened, setting up committees and enforcing immunization with police assistance, but resistance persists. The government is urged to address the underlying community issues and improve communication strategies to ensure successful vaccination campaigns.